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Vincent Caloiero, Coffee Analysts’ Coffee Technologist and Sensory Specialist, has earned his Q Grader license. This certificate represents hours of training, dedication, and expertise in sensory analysis in coffee testing. We are proud of Vincent’s achievement and congratulate him on this milestone. After making it through another brutal New England winter, we decided to it was time to head to origin: this time, to Guatemala. Working closely with Anacafe, the Guatemalan National Coffee Association, we studied coffee quality throughout the country, and learned first hand about the destructive nature of leaf rust (hemileia vastatrix.) Upon arrival we began working in Anacafe’s labs, comparing operating procedures for green and roasted coffee to ensure consistency and accuracy of methods in our respective labs. Next, we completed cuppings that explored the different quality designations found in Guatemala (Prime, Extra Prime, Semi Hard, Hard, and Strictly Hard Bean); also on the table was a natural coffee and Robusta, two types that are very limited in Guatemala. Subsequent cuppings compared the eight distinct regions of coffee, which include designations based on cup profile, climate, soil, and altitude. Not surprisingly, there are pretty clear distinctions in the cup! We really enjoyed the Acetenango, and noticed an unusually unique profile in the Rainforest Coban. Our travels outside the Anacafe labs took us to the growing regions of Antigue and Atitlan, where we visited farms to learn about procedures for processing coffee cherries, and ventured into the fields to gain first-hand knowledge of the detrimental effects of leaf rust. In Antigue we visited Las Salinas, San Rafael Urias and Finca Retana y Anexos. Each farm represented the best of what Guatemala has to offer; shade-grown coffees, high elevations, and sustainable farming practices. Isidro Valdes, owner of San Rafael Urias, personally showed us around the farm. At Finca Retana, owner Fernando Cofino showed us their worm farm where coffee pulp is processed into rich compost that can be spread back on the fields. In Atitlan we visited Coop San Miguel, where numerous farmers cultivate micro-lots of coffee plants and share facilities for processing and distribution of the green coffee. Co-op manager Servando Santos Chumil gave us a tour of the wet mills and drying patios. We also stopped by Chacaya, where farm manager Mario Cabrera took time out to show us around. Our last stop in Atitlan was at Granos del Sur. Here they purchase coffee cherry from local farmers and process it through their wet mill. They also had a dry mill for processing and sorting coffee for shipment. The drive back to Guatemala City took us through farm land where rubber tree farms and sugar fields abound. As it happened, the National Barista competition was happening at the Fontabella, and we made a quick stop to take it in. It was the perfect way to end our action-and information-packed trip to Guatemala. Cook’s Illustrated Magazine recently conducted an analysis comparing and contrasting several Supermarket Medium-Roast Coffees. In the same issue they also evaluated consumer filter drip coffee makers. Do you agree with their conclusions? http://tinyurl.com/bfndzte
Spencer Turer, the Director of Coffee Operations at Coffee Analysts, traveled to Costa Rica in early November 2012 to attend the Sintercafe International Coffee Conference and tour coffee farms. The Sintercafe trip started in San Jose, Costa Rica with over 325 attendees from 23 nations. While attending the event, Spencer met with coffee producers, traders and roasters from around the word discussing coffee quality and expectations for the upcoming harvest. The conference presentations included topics such as:
Michela Stama from Lavazza and Doug Welsh from Peet’s presented company profiles, and Miguel Zamore from FairTrade USA conducted a seminar on their current activities and programs for farmers and cooperatives. While attending seminars and business meetings regarding the global coffee industry is exciting and rewarding, the most fun was had touring Hacienda LaMinita in the Tarrazu valley. The area where the farm is located is called Los Santos with elevations between 3,750 and 5,000 ft. The plantation has been owned by the McAlpin family since 1967 and has been developed and maintained to produce top quality coffee that is in demand by specialty and premium coffee buyers. Spencer toured the coffee farm, nursery and milling operations with Mr. Sergio Cruz, the Director of Quality Assurance and Alberto Ponce from Cadexsa in Honduras. During the tour they concentrated on inspection of coffee cherry development and the health of the coffee trees. DECEMBER 13, 2012 8:30am – 5:00pm LOCATION DATE & TIME PRICING (per person) FOR REGISTRATION PLEASE CONTACT THE SCAA The SCAA Instructor Development Program is one of our most popular professional development programs. Specialty Coffee Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) can advance their training and education skills through workshops on adult learning principles in the workplace, instructional design (based on the ADDIE model developed by the American Society for Training & Development), testing, evaluation and class management. Upon completion of the one-day program, students earn the SCAA Lead Instructor Credential and are eligible to volunteer as an Instructor for SCAA. Many students enthusiastically report an increase in quality and delivery of their training and instructional design in their own companies after completing the IDP. This course is particularly beneficial for the coffee expert who trains others, but has no formal coursework in training, adult education, or organizational learning. 1. Recognizing education and training as an element of organizational success; 2. Applying adult learning principles; 3. Setting clear, measurable skill and knowledge objectives. 4. Designing instruction using the ADDIE model of the American Society for Training and Development. 5. Exhibiting professional presentation skills. 6. Evaluating learner performance and leveraging learning back at work. The course is taught by the SCAA Education Manager, Ildi Revi, M.Ad.Ed., CPT. Ildi has designed and conducted educator training for over 15 years for companies, educational institutions, government projects and NGO’s. She works with all the subject matter experts at SCAA to design, develop and deliver classes to our members. Spencer Turer, Director of Coffee Operations, attended the recent NACS Show (National Association of Convenience Stores) held in Las Vegas, Nevada. While at the show, Spencer met with many of our clients from the convenience retailer channel of trade, and had the opportunity to talk with other retailers about their hot beverage programs. “Attention to coffee quality and improved brewing technology was the primary focus of this year’s show,” stated Turer. Many of the national coffee roasters were demonstrating their quality capabilities by featuring singe-origin coffee, exotics, and even certified coffee, illustrating their commitment to social and environmental responsibility. Equipment manufacturers were demonstrating the newest technology for filter drip brewing and serving to maintain coffee quality attributes. Espresso machines, both super-automatic one-step and two-step models, were prominently displayed, demonstrating to convenience retailers that freshly prepared espresso-based beverages are able to be included in anyone’s coffee program. From branded coffee to private-label programs, and from commercial quality to gourmet quality, the overall focus at the NACS Show was to keep the hot coffee customer in their stores by delivering a great tasting cup of coffee to the consumer. Coffee Analysts is recognized as the leader in coffee testing services to food service brands and convenience retailers, and is providing comprehensive quality support to many convenience retailers to help them achieve their sales and profit goals.
We are please to announce that Director of Coffee Operations Spencer Turer is now a Licensed Q-Grader. An article from CoffeeTalk describes what it means to be a Q-Grader:
Q-Graders must pass a rigorous five-day exam to earn their certification, comprising of 22 sections on coffee-related subjects, such as green grading, roast identification, coffee cupping, sensory skills and sensory triangulation. There are currently over 1,000 Licensed Q Graders worldwide. Coffee Analysts benefits by having two licensed Q Grader on staff. Both Coffee Analysts owner Dan Cox and Spencer Turer provide leadership to sensorial evaluations ensuring SCAA and Q standards are followed for coffee evaluations, and provide training to staff members as well as insuring proper calibration amongst sensory panelists. “We are proud of Spencer earning his Q-Grader License,” remarked Cox. “It’s a rigorous and world-renowned program, and Coffee Analysts will benefit greatly from having another Q-Grader on our team.” Congratulations, Spencer!
Last week we got a comment on our post “Coffee Testing: What We Look For and Why“: Moisture content in green coffee is an indicator of freshness, proper processing at the coffee mills, and proper storage conditions. Coffee is hygroscopic—that is, it attracts and hold water in moist environments and will release water in dry environments. Fresh green coffee upon import should be between 10% and 12% moisture for washed coffee, and up to 13% moisture for naturally processed coffees and coffees from Indonesia. The National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia has a regulation limiting Colombia coffee moisture content to below 12% upon export. Green coffee moisture will affect cup quality: Beans with high moisture content may discolor and turn light opaque during storage. High moisture content coffee may have cup quality issues as well, ranging from fruity to sour, and possibly ferment. Beans with low moisture will lose their green color and turn pale yellow quickly, with cup quality issues of flat, papery, thin and cereal characters. Green coffee moisture will effect blend development: Variations in green coffee moisture will affect the roasting process and change the dynamics of the roast profile. High moisture content beans will roast slower, requiring additional energy to dry the beans before Maillard reactions / non-enzymatic browning may occur. Low moisture levels are necessary to allow coffee’s internal temperature to reach around 154 C (309 F) to begin. Low moisture contents will cause the profile roast to speed up, with higher temperatures realized earlier, creating a faster roast.
In her piece, author JoNel Aleccia cites recent results from the largest-ever analysis of the link between coffee consumption and mortality that coffee consumption may lead to a living a longer life. The research, which was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that during a 14-year study period “men who drank at least six cups of coffee a day had a 10 percent lower chance of dying during the 14-year study period than those who drank none. For women, the risk was 15 percent lower.” This is where Spencer came in: Reassuring, indeed, for hard-core coffee drinkers like Spencer Turer, who guzzles four to six cups of coffee every day for personal consumption — and sips between 75 and 300 cups more as part of his job as a professional coffee taster. “It’s good news for all coffee drinkers because we can feel really good about the decisions we’re making,” said Turer, director of coffee operations for the firm Coffee Analysts, which provides unbiased scientific review of coffee products. “People concerned about the health effects may choose to drink more coffee.” Nice! Click here to read the full article. Since MSNBC ran this post, a few other news outlets picked up the piece and quoted Spencer: http://www.ryanmews.com/tag/coffee-analysts/
CLASSIC FRESH FRUIT TARTOrange sweet pastry shell, traditional vanilla pastry cream – milk, eggs, sugar, bourbon vanilla beans and a small amount of cornstarch. Topped with fresh berries and kiwi, finished with Grand Marnier infused glaze. COFFEECity-roast coffee (48-50 Agtron) to complement the dessert of super-sweet characters, medium acidity, and slight nuttiness: Brasil NY2 Strictly-soft, fine cup 100% Cerrado with sweet, creamy nutty characters and soft, mild finish will allow the fruit characters of the tart to dominate, or Costa Rica Strictly Hard Bean European Preparation Honeyed, or El Salvador Strictly High Grown Honeyed coffees, both will present a syrupy, floral and slightly wild sweetness, with rich-creamy body and bright, crisp acidity. The coffee character will compliment the creamy custard and ripe fruit characters to make a harmonious pairing. A Medium roasted Fair Trade Organic coffee has sweet aroma, winy-orange/apricot acidity, and medium body with milk chocolate, toasted nuts, and light caramel smooth finish. The sweetness of the fresh fruit in the tart will draw out the floral-fruity sweetness of the coffee, without overpowering the character or intensity. WINE / SPIRITSCrisp, clean sweet wine to compliment the fruit acidity, and balance the cream and pastry.
 From Flickr: Oceana Grill New Orleans KENTUCKY BOURBON PECAN PIEClassic ingredients: eggs, sugar, dark corn syrup, butter, pecans and Jim Beam Kentucky bourbon. Coffee cuts the sweetness of this dessert and pairs well with the buttery caramel pecan filling. The Pastry Chef makes the pie dough using bourbon in the dough, to add flavor and reduce the development of gluten which toughens the pastry. The salted caramel sauce mirrors the flavors of the pie. COFFEEFull-city roast coffee (Agtron 44-46) with acidity and fruity/floral to contrast the rich creamy dessert: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe (bright, citric and floral with clean lingering finish) or Guatemala Antigua Strictly Hard Bean, European Preparation, Fancy (winy acidity, tart-sweetness, with rich body and spicy finish) will provide enough contrast to the sticky sweetness of the Pecan Pie without overpowering the toasted nutty characters. The complex flavors of this dessert and heavy sweetness require an intense coffee to pair. Slightly similar with enough contradicting characters help keep each item separate on ones palette: sweet, clean coffee with low acidity, dark chocolate and molasses characters, hint of sweet ripe berry, medium to full body, with a toasty, dark caramel lingering finish. WINE / SPIRITS
 Look for Spencer at SCAA The SCAA Event is almost here, and Coffee Analysts will be there. If you’re in Portland, look for Spencer Turer, Director of Coffee Operations, as a Station Instructor for the following classes:
Spencer will also be a judge for the “Best New Products – Coffee or Tea Preparation and Servicing Equipment (Consumer).” Vincent Caloiero, Coffee Analysts Coffee Technologist, will also be attending the conferences as a porter at the Roasters Guild Coffee of the Year Competition.
DEVIL’S FOOD CAKEIngredients in tested Devil’s Food Cake: Panama Volcan Beru Coffee, buttermilk, Cocao Barry Extra Brut (100% cocoa, 24% cocoa butter) dark cocoa powder, sugar, cake flour. The cake is finished with Italian butter cream infused with the same coffee and Crème Anglaise made with the Panama Volcan Beru coffee as well. The cake on its own demonstrates how well chocolate and coffee pair. COFFEEVienna Roast coffee (Agtron 40-42) with big, bold coffee flavor with low-winy acidity, super-rich body, chocolate and dark caramel notes, and red berry sweetness will compliment nicely with Devil’s Food Cake intense chocolate richness. Sumatra Mandheling or Lintong, Grade 1 Double-Pick (berry, rich, sweet, slightly earthy) or 100% Colombia from Bucaramanga region (rich, sweet, winy body, clean, floral with molasses finish) The richness of deep chocolate flavors in this dessert will pair well with a complimentary coffee of similar character. The coffee has medium citric acidity, medium to rich body, slight herbal, cedar, and chocolate characters, with dry cocoa, molasses finish. WINE / SPIRITSChocolate is tricky, the dessert wine should be at least as sweet as the cake, or sweeter.
The presentation detailed the sensory attributes, both aromatic and flavor, used to compare desserts and coffee to better understand complimentary and contradictory attributes which will affect the guest experiences. Today wine menus are more than red or white; beer selections are more than just light and dark; and even soda selections are more than regular and diet. So, why is food service still offering just regular and decaf? The coffee consumer is more knowledgeable and sophisticated than ever before, and with the right time and attention paid to the coffee menus as restaurants, cafes, and food service establishments, pairing the right coffee with desserts or other food items will enhance the guests’ dining experience. Coffee professional participated in a pairing exercise with desserts prepared exclusively for the event by Charleston Place Executive Pastry Chef Christopher Ryan and specialty coffees courtesy of H.C. Valentine coffee company. We will post coffee / dessert pairings for some popular desserts. Stay tuned!  Spencer during a cupping at Coffee Analysts Coffee Analysts Director of Coffee Operations Spencer Turer successfully completed the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s Instructor Development Program in Portland, OR. This dynamic and extensive training program is for Coffee Subject Matter Experts to learn about applied adult learning concepts and instructional design to become a certified SCAA Lead Instructor. Spencer Turer is a SCAA Subject Matter Expert in coffee quality, cupping/tasting, and green coffee trading. At the upcoming SCAA Event, an annual conference and exposition in April, Spencer will be a station instructor at GE255 Organic Acids and Chemistry of Coffee, GE202 Comparative Cupping, and GE201 The SCAA Cupping Form & Peer Calibration. In its January Volume, the Institute of Food Technologist featured an in-depth article titled Coffee Quality Testing. After explaining the coffee basics, the author relies on the expertize of our own Spencer Turer to explain how and why coffee is tested:
View the entire article: HERE Spencer Turer from Coffee Analysts attended Let’s Talk Coffee 2011 in Salinitas, El Salvador along with Jeff Alpert and Jenny Perez from Coffee Extracts & Ingredients. The conference is organized by Sustainable Harvest and attended by over 375 attendees from 24 different countries. The theme for this years conference was “Redesigning the Coffee Supply Chain.” Spencer participated in meetings with coffee producers and roasters regarding coffee quality and harvest expectations. During the conference the region experienced torrential rains that caused extreme flooding and mudslides. However the poor weather did not dampen our spirit for building strong supply relationships and discussing coffee quality for calibrations amongst supply chain partners.  Preparing for a cupping
 Coffee Extracts' Jeff Alpert (second from left) at one of the talks
 Let's Talk Coffee: a great opportunity to hear what's happening in the industry
 In the end: it's all about the beans When it comes to coffee (or any other food product, for that matter), spider graphs—AKA spider charts or radar charts or star charts—are incredibly useful for documenting sensory attributes and their intensity for both flavor and aroma. These charts can be a useful tool to visually compare and contrast samples or as a point of reference to benchmark for product development or specification creation.—i.e. “I want my coffee to taste like THIS.” Spider charts are most commonly used for Descriptive Analysis projects as used in the examples below: What Is A Spider Graph?In essence, a spider graph displays a series of attributes on a predefined scale to create a visual representation of how a product tastes.
 Spider Graph Example How are Spider Graphs Created for Descriptive Analysis?The key to spider graphs is in blind testing by a trained panel. At Coffee Analysts, a team of professional cuppers (tasters) convene in a dedicated sensory laboratory devoid of external stimuli: no talking, no perfumes, no distractions. These cuppers independently analyze the coffee in terms of taste and aroma as described by the SCAA Flavor Wheel (see below). To begin, our taste panel evaluates 3 different samples of the same product to individually identify the 10-15 most prevalent attributes present. Next the panel convenes to determine a common language for sensory attributes. Then the sensory panel reevaluates the products’ 3 samples to judge the intensity and quality of the pre-determined attributes. At the conclusion of the testing an accurate and detailed product summary is presented including a comprehensive spider-graph chart. They cup the coffee at least three times, individually record their test results for each attributes intensity and quality, and then discuss their findings. Led by the Director of Coffee Operations the sensory panel, as a group, agree on 10-15 most prevalent attributes and chart the results.  SCAA Flavor Wheel Why Are Spider Graphs Useful?Coffee Analysts’ clients often use spider graphs to map roasted coffee sensory changed over time in order to determine consistency. As an example, a private label retailer has seen sales flatline for its best seller, “Acme Breakfast Blend.” The company suspects a recent change from one of its suppliers has adversely affected taste. If Acme had a spider graph of the original, best-selling “Breakfast Blend,” the company can use it to analyze the poor-performing coffee (see example below). Coffee Analysts can show how (or if) the flavor profile has changed significantly, and then make recommendations on how to improve. Example – click on image to enlarge, use > and < keys to advance / go back: Acme Blend Original  New blend – notice different flavor profile Spider Graphs are an important tool for quality control programs and product development projects. The visual representation of various attributes can be an easy to read and understand profile of coffee character. Coffee Analysts can complete descriptive Analysis projects and chart the results in spider chart format. Also, our standard sensory analysis scores from cupping or tasting can be presented using a spider chart format as well.
Coffee Analysts now offers bundled coffee testing packages for green coffee and roasted coffee. These testing packages give you a comprehensive report of what’s happening with your coffee, from staling risks to taints to cupping scores. Whether you’re a small roaster or a nation-wide retailer, there’s a testing package that can help you ensure the quality of your coffee. Best of all, all coffee testing packages include Sensorial Analysis and a comprehensive report. Prices vary depending on volume, quantity and your goals, so contact us for a quote. Contact: 800.375.3398 More Info: Coffee Testing Packages Whether it’s 80° and clear or wind chill of -15°, at Coffee Analysts we enjoy quite the view while we cup coffee. Visit us any time!  View over Lake Champlain from the cupping room
 Cupping in the Coffee Lab
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June 11th, 2012 at 5:08 pmWhat do you consider high moisture content in green coffee?